By Mike London
Salisbury Post
MOUNT ULLA — Ja’mih Tucker had such a strong basketball summer as West Rowan’s point guard that he was undecided about playing his senior season of football.
“We played him at receiver a lot last year, but we knew we needed him this season in our defensive backfield,” West head coach Louis Kraft said. “So getting him out here was a big priority.”
One of Tucker’s talented basketball teammates, deadeye shooter Jalen Moten, decided to pass on his junior year of football so that he could get more reps in hoops during the late summer and early fall, but Tucker decided to rejoin the football team.
“I’ve played football my whole life,” Tucker said. “I really do like basketball best, but I’ve had a lot of people over the years tell me I’m better at football.”
Tucker led West basketball in assists in 2024-25, and coach Dadrian Cuthbertson said Tucker found a new confidence in his jump shot over the summer, so he may have a huge senior hoops season.
Tucker (his first name is pronounced Juh-my) is not physically imposing at 5-foot-10, 146 pounds, but there’s a lot of quickness and competitiveness packed into that relatively small body. He’s been credited with 18 solo tackles. He has played some safety for the Falcons this season, but he usually is a cornerback.
“As an athlete, Tucker is electric,” Kraft said. “He simply can do things that not a lot of people can do. And he’s high-energy. When he’s on, he can elevate the level of our defense. There are times when I think he gets bored with practice, like when it’s our first-team defense against the scout-team offense. But when the lights come on, when those bullets start flying on Friday nights, he’s a guy who can cover man-to-man. That gives us better numbers in the box. That helps us stop the run.”
Tucker was a difference-maker in Friday’s 35-33 comeback win at East Rowan in the South Piedmont Conference. The Falcons scored 28 points in the fourth quarter, with six coming on his 42-yard interception return for a touchdown. That pick-six and the Carter Durant PAT that followed it gave the Falcons a 35-27 lead.
The interception was Tucker’s third of the season, making him one of the leaders in the county and in the South Piedmont Conference. This was the first one that he’s returned for points.
“The previous interceptions, it was a situation where I was falling on the ground as soon as I made the pick, but this one was different,” Tucker said. “This time I stayed on my feet.”
His big play unfolded for him almost in slow motion. He could see East quarterback Julian Cauble was in trouble, with West defensive tackle Kayden Weeks getting pressure. He saw the throw was going to be well short of its intended target.
“I saw the ball go up in the air, and I attacked it,” Tucker said. “I went and got it, and then I saw I had an opportunity for a big return. My teammates got blocks. I made one man miss. Touchdown.”
Tucker praised East Rowan’s Jason Bonds — who had three TD catches — as a very good receiver, but Tucker had an eventful night, with a lot of positive plays.
“I had a lot of lot of breakups,” Tucker said. “I was able to smack down four balls. I was close to getting more interceptions. I probably should have had at least one more.”
Tucker had a great view of East’s 2-point conversion try late in the contest — it would have tied the game — and was as surprised as anyone that the Mustangs ran the ball inside.
“My dog, (safety) Lucas Watts, did a lot to stop the 2-point play,” Tucker said. “He got down low and wrapped up the back’s legs.”
The win gave the Falcons 21 straight county wins and 92 in their 98 county games since 2000.
“No one on our roster ever has lost a varsity county game,” Tucker said. “That’s a streak that we wanted to continue.”
West has one more county game this season. The Falcons (4-3) host Salisbury on Oct. 31, the last night of the regular season.
